


No Roots

by twinkhemmings



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boys In Love, Drinking, Drugs, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-06-14 15:42:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15392034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinkhemmings/pseuds/twinkhemmings
Summary: Calum lives his life at a hundred miles an hour, not allowing himself to call anywhere home. But Calum also begins to settle on Luke, and Luke starts to feel like home.





	1. No Roots

**Author's Note:**

> First update in three years!  
> I couldn't help but start a new fic after hearing 5SOS' cover of Alice Merton's "No Roots", I hope you enjoy the start of this new story!

_“I've got no roots, but my home was never on the ground”_

Calum opened the driver’s side door to his battered old Range Rover, throwing his plastic bag full of paracetamol, bread, and whisky into the passenger seat. He had to stop at a dingy gas station just outside of town, knowing that he would need more gas if he was going to get much further. His car kick started, the engine growling along with Calum’s empty stomach, his old radio coming to life and playing an 80’s rock mixtape he had made before he left.

Living on the road was Calum’s life; travelling from city to city every few months, pickpocketing on the way so he could scrape up enough money for a deposit for a cheap apartment, even if it did mean he had to share it with 6 other strangers living the same way he did. He was travelling to New York after securing a job in a downtown bar, his friend from high school, Ashton, telling him that they had a vacancy going. Ashton knew Calum inside out despite the fact Calum tries to cut ties with everyone, weaselling his way back into Calum’s life way too often for his liking. Lighting his cigarette at a red light, Calum ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He wasn’t sure why he agreed to the job in New York, knowing full well that it would mean having to socialise with Ashton and his friends. Something that Calum wasn’t too fond of was socialisation; he would rather sit on his own and get lost in his thoughts, dreaming about all the beautiful places around the world that he is yet to visit, but remain on his bucket-list.

After nearly three hours of driving, and several Fleetwood Mac albums down, Calum arrived in New York in the early evening, pulling up front of the bar he will be working at. The place looked seedy, the sort of place guys go to when they’re having an affair with a younger guy whilst his wife waits at home. Calum rolled his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets, checking he still had another pack of cigarettes and a lighter. He pushed open the heavy front door, a live band playing some classic rock filling his ears and the smell of damp wood floating into his nostrils. Before he even had chance to scope the place out, Ashton came bounding over and dragging Calum into an over-friendly hug;

“Holy shit dude, you actually came!?” the curly haired boy enthused in Calum’s ear.

“Yeah man, I told you it was about time we saw each other again!” Calum lied, simply using Ashton as a place to stay does not count as a reunion of old friends.

“You look great, Cal” Ashton smiled whilst reaching up to ruffle Calum’s hair, “You still look about 16 though.”

“Fuck off, you know I’ve got a baby face” Calum frowned, gently punching Ashton’s shoulder earning a smile from the other boy. “You look good too though Ash” he said, quickly falling back into the routine of pet names and pulling him into another hug.

“Anyway, enough of all this soppy shit” Ashton says, pushing Calum off him, “let’s show you the ropes” Ashton beams, encouraging Calum to follow him to the staff room by the side of the bar.

When Calum and Ashton walk into the staff room, Calum is overwhelmed by the stench of weed and beer, soon locating the source as a blonde boy and two girls share a joint on the bean bags in the corner of the room. The three heads look up slowly, eyes reddened and smiling, whilst the blonde boy waves enthusiastically at Calum as though he recognises him, despite the fact that he definitely doesn’t.

“Guys, this is Calum, my mate from school who’s moved to New York for a bit” Ashton says, shoving Calum forward into the middle of the room by pushing his lower back, “He’s fucking sick at mixing drinks, so you guys need to get your act together so he doesn’t show us up.” Calum blushes but tries to play it off by shrugging his shoulders as though he’s no big deal, saying “I’m really not that good” in reply.

The two girls introduce themselves as Megan and Lily, coming up to give Calum a hug at the same time and nearly squeezing the air out of his smoke-damaged lungs. Lily drops Calum a wink and lets her arm linger on Calum’s bicep: “ _god, if only I wasn’t gay”_ passing though his mind. Lily looked like Calum but female, her sense of style unbelievably edgy. She was wearing a huge knitted jumper, baggy jeans and fishnets underneath to show people that she was most likely _filthy_ in bed. Calum gave her a weak smile, as though to try and apologise for the fact that he will never ever sleep with her.

Before Calum got too caught up in trying to force himself into being straight, the blonde boy walked over to him and shook his hand. The blonde looked put-together and unruly at the same time. He looked as though he hadn’t showered for two weeks, his mid-length curls tucked behind his ear and emphasising his delicately stubbled jawline, his too-tight jeans contradicting his oversized striped shirt.

“Name’s Luke” the blonde stated, nervously running his clammy hand through his hair straight after. Calum didn’t say anything in reply, he just twiddled with a cigarette in his pocket and gave the boy a half-smile, not really having anything to say seeing as Ashton already told them his name. Whilst Lily would be a wet dream for most guys, Calum found his eyes lingering on Luke, trying not to stare at his sharp facial features and swollen red eyes.

“You happy to jump straight in?” Ashton asked, prodding Calum’s cheek earning a swat in return.

“Sure” Calum responded, shrugging, “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“Please never say something like that again” said Lily, rolling her eyes but giving him a slight smirk at the end: _“Jesus Christ, will this girl ever give up?”_ he thought.

***

Six hours later, his forehead sticky and his arms aching, Calum sat at the bar whilst Megan closed the front door, her tiny frame sagging against it in defeat as she groaned audibly.

“I think I need about eight shots and a punch in the face” she said as she dragged herself up off the floor, rubbing her palms into her tired eyes and plopping herself onto the stool next to Calum; “I promise it’s not always this busy” she said to Calum as Ashton handed her a vodka and coke, “It’s only because it’s a Saturday” she continued.

“I don’t mind it busy” Calum said before taking a chug of his straight whisky; “Means we get more tips” he winks at her, chuckling softly as he puts a cigarette behind his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, Calum sees Luke and Lily sit on the counters behind the bar with Ashton, the five of them all looking drained.

“I think we should get hammered here and then head out for the night” says Luke, tucking his hair behind his ears and swinging his legs back and forth, the heels of his black boots thumping against the wooden counter.

“I agree” says Lily, raising her shot and downing it, looking Calum in the eye as she does so, Megan and Ashton following suit and making short work of their drinks; “Calum, are you up for that?” she asks, fluttering her lashes at him gently, Ashton noticing this.

“Lily, one thing that I’m going to say before Calum does is that he’s gay and you’re completely wasting your time batting your false lashes at him” Ashton states, his words swiftly followed by a low chuckle and smirk.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t boost his ego, does it Cal?” she states in her defence, quite clearly disappointed in this revelation. Calum raises his glass to her, thanking her for her efforts and reassuring her that if he wasn’t gay, he would most definitely be interested. Lily smiles at this and raises her glass to his, downing her next shot.

Despite his reservations about coming to New York and staying with Ashton, Calum feels at ease sat at this bar with a group of people he barely knows. He likes the fact that they don’t really ask questions: they don’t ask what’s brought him here or how he knows Ashton, and he truly does appreciate people not prying. Calum doesn’t travel to get away from anything, he travels because he doesn’t like to settle, doesn’t like to get too comfortable with a place or the people in case it all comes crumbling down. He likes to keep moving, keep busy, and live life at a fast pace, enjoying it rather than waiting for things to settle into a textbook place. He doesn’t want the steady job where he dreads going into work where he sits next to a woman called Sharon who complains about her husband’s drinking habits. He doesn’t want to wait around for the ‘love of his life’ so that he can be happy. He doesn’t want to rely on friends or need people for emotional support, especially seeing as he doesn’t even _like_ emotions. He wants to drive his car, with the windows down and the breeze flowing through his hair. He wants to drink, smoke, party and fuck. Stereotypical if it might sound, Calum wants to live fast, and most likely die young.

***

Six whiskies and a line of coke down, Calum is ready for a big night with some new people. New York is something more than Calum could have even imagined; the bright lights beckon him, the streets filled with bustling people and vehicles allow him to blend in, and most importantly, nobody knows him here, so he can be whoever he wants to be. Sure, Ashton knows him, and Calum isn’t going to pretend to be someone he’s not but seeing as he’s only here for a short while, he might as well spend his time not holding anything back. And _Christ_ , Calum surely isn’t holding back tonight. He’s not just drunk, he is _absolutely hammered_. The combination of drink and cocaine makes Calum feel invincible; makes him feel as though he’s free, and freedom is Calum’s favourite thing.

“Do you want to go for a smoke?” Luke leans into Calum’s ear, raising his voice so that the he can hear him over the pounding bass. Calum nods in response, smiling toothily at Luke whilst the two of them begin to shimmy their way to the back entrance where the smoking area is. As they open the doors, a gentle breeze greets them and pulls Luke’s gentle curls out from behind his ears, his long, delicate fingers reaching up and tucking them back into place.

“Here, have a straight” Calum says, watching Luke’s sweaty hands fighting with his rolling materials, tobacco falling to the ground like raindrops on a steamed up window.

“I can’t roll at the best of times” Luke chuckles, thanking Calum for the straight and reaching into his back pocket for a lighter, “Don’t know why I even bother trying” he continues.

“It’s cheaper, I guess” Calum shrugs, taking a long drag of his cigarette, the end of it lighting up his dark eyes, “And people who don’t smoke think it’s really fucking cool” he laughs, Luke nodding in response.

They stand in silence for a few moments, lighting up their cigarettes and getting accustomed to the gentle winter breeze ghosting over them. Luke shudders slightly, goosebumps rising on his pale forearms and spreading up to his shoulders.

“Do you want my jacket?” Calum suggests, noticing the blonde boy folding in on himself slightly. Luke shakes his head in response as he exhales, smiling gently at Calum.

“I’m good, but thanks man” he retorts, skipping on his feet slightly to warm himself up; “Anyways” he continues, “What brings you to New York?” he asks. Calum doesn’t tense up at the question like he normally would, his slightly drunken mind understanding that Luke is asking him a very ordinary question.

“Nothing in particular” Calum says honestly, “I just – I dunno, like, I can’t settle down properly, y’know? I travel around a lot, just working bar jobs and stuff, just – experiencing life I guess.” Luke leans against the wall with his left shoulder, looking at Calum and nodding in understanding.

“I’ve always wanted to travel” Luke says a bit dreamily to himself before stubbing his cigarette out on the floor, “Guess I’ve just never really known how to start, if that makes sense? Like, I don’t know how to just…set off and not know where I’m going” he continues, frowning slightly.

“It’s harder than people think” Calum says as he exhales, “You’ve got to truly not want to settle anywhere and be able to not get attached to people. You’ve also got to be happy in your own company I guess, even if your own thoughts do catch up with you every now and again.”

Calum drops his cigarette and leans on the wall with his right shoulder, the two of them facing each other whilst Luke kicks the ground with the toe of his right foot, not really looking at Calum at all.

“But, like – how do you _ensure_ that you don’t get attached to people or things, like, say for instance, you found a really awesome place by a lake and had a super cool girlfriend. Why would you not want to stay and enjoy something like that?” Luke questions, his eyes meeting Calum’s and looking for the answer in his face.

“There’s two issues with what you’ve just said” Calum retorts, smirking slightly and shuffling a bit closer to Luke; “The first one, is that I’m gay, so unfortunately it doesn’t matter _how_ super cool the girl is, she definitely wouldn’t be able to convince me to stay.” Luke blushes slightly as he remembers Ashton telling them Calum’s sexuality.

“And two” Calum continues, gently tucking a piece of Luke’s hair back behind his ear that was disturbed by the breeze, “I just – don’t get attached. I don’t _let_ myself like people or things. To stay objective, I make sure that I always look at the negatives of things as well as positives. I guess you could say I’m a bit cynical, but I just think it’s sensible” he shrugs, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking into Luke’s eyes, making the blonde look away a bit flustered.

Luke sighs before he starts, “I dunno man, it just seems as though you’re trying to run away from the possibility of being happy?” he says, unsure whether he’s overstepped the mark seeing as he only met Calum a few hours ago, despite the fact that they are both rather intoxicated.

“Maybe I am” Calum shrugs, “Maybe I just don’t realise that I am” he continues, “I suppose I’ll never really know until I get into that scenario where I don’t want to keep going and I do want to settle down, but I just can’t imagine myself there.” Calum lights up another cigarette, his drunken self not thinking about how shit this will make his lungs feel in the morning when he feels as though someone has shoved tissue paper inside his body.

“I don’t wanna seem rude, so don’t answer this question if you don’t want to” Luke begins, “But has someone hurt you? Like, did you have a partner or something who made you want to run away from the conventional life? Someone who truly fucked you over and made you want to leave everything behind?” Luke asked gently, his sweaty hand mindlessly playing with the frayed hem of Calum’s black denim jacket.

“Honestly?” Calum asks, Luke nodding in response pressing for an answer; “Yeah” Calum says, scratching the hairs at the back of his neck, “I was in love with a married man from the age of 17 to like, 20, maybe?” he continued, inhaling his cigarette and diverting his eyes from Luke’s so the other boy couldn’t see the pain creeping onto his face, “He, um…messed me around for years, promising me that he would leave his wife for me, telling me that he loved me and all that bullshit” he spat, as though the mere memory was enough for his blood to boil.

“I’m so sorry” said Luke meekly, taking Calum’s hand and squeezing it in some strange attempt to comfort him, “I shouldn’t have asked” he continued, giving a weak smile to the other boy.

“Nah it’s cool” retorted Calum, squeezing Luke’s hand gently before dropping it and running a hand through his own dark hair and looking at his watch; “Fuck, it’s like, two-thirty” he laughs, quickly changing the subject.

“Shit, we should probably find the guys” says Luke, catching Calum gently by the wrist and ushering him inside, throwing his head back to flash Calum a dimply grin: _“God, he’s so cute”_ Calum thinks to himself before mentally slapping himself, refusing to even chance sleeping with a guy he works with.

***

An hour and a half later, several more shots consumed and some heavy bassline alongside it, Calum is going to chance sleeping with a guy he works with.

***

Unlocking Ashton’s front door with the key he handed him before he went home with a girl from the club, Calum is fumbling to close the door behind him as his nerves begin to kick in. Luke has obviously been round to Ashton’s before, kicking off his shoes next to the front door and lining them up with Ashton’s other shoes. Before Calum has even taken his coat off, he can hear Luke down the corridor in the kitchen, popping lids off some beers and humming to himself. How is this supposed to be _Calum’s_ new home but _Luke_ knows the layout like the back of his hand?

Calum strolls down the corridor into the kitchen, admiring the exposed brickwork and industrial theme that Ashton has going on, one of the metal barstools at the kitchen island already being occupied by Luke. Calum shrugs off his denim jacket, Luke catches a glimpse of his taut biceps as the denim jacket gets placed on the metal stool next to him. Calum walks around to the other side of the island and smirks, leaning his arms on the marble countertop and grasping the beer that Luke has left out for him.

“What’re you smirking at?” Luke frowns, chugging down the cool beer and allowing it to slide down his blushing throat, “Don’t like being stared at” he mutters afterwards, chewing a hangnail on his right hand subconsciously.

“Nothing” Calum teases, smirking even more and fishing a cigarette out of his pocket.

“Ash will murder you if you light up in here” Luke warns, “He nearly slapped me when I was just rolling a joint on the coffee table” he throws his head back to indicate the exact coffee table; an industrial pipe being used for something it wasn’t intended for.

“Want to join me on the balcony then?” Calum asks suggestively, hoping that the blonde wouldn’t decline and leave him freezing outside on his own. Luke agrees, following Calum through the bi-folding doors and onto the small balcony overlooking the city. The street lights illuminate the skyline, mimicking stars and twinkling in Luke’s eyes when Calum catches a glance.

“How long have you known Ash then?” Calum asks after lighting his cigarette, leaning on the metal railing of the balcony and cocking his head to look at Luke’s illuminated face.

“Um – ‘bout two years now I reckon” Luke says thoughtfully, joining Calum to lean on the railing, “What about you?” he asks.

“Nearly ten years on-and-off. We sort of knew _of_ each other before we actually _knew_ each other if that makes sense?”

Luke nodded in agreement, humming in reply; “We used to jam together back in school” Calum continues, “Did you know he’s a fucking sick drummer?”

Luke shakes his head, cocking an eyebrow in surprise but then following it with a warm smile; “Of course he is. He’s great at everything” Luke replies, “And what did you play, like, when you jammed together?”

“Bass” Calum responds smiling, “I’m really not that good though” he follows it up with, tapping the end of his cigarette so the ash goes tumbling down onto the street below.

“That’s the second time you’ve said you’re not good at anything today” Luke teases, “But I saw you mixing drinks and you were fucking great at that, so I bet you’re also great at bass too” he blushes, Calum now knowing that Luke was watching him tonight.

“Cheers man” Calum smiles warmly, exhaling into the cold air and causing a small cloud to billow around them.

They both stand there in silence – not an awkward silence, but the sort of silence where you both just get caught in your own thoughts, gazing into the distance and appreciating your surroundings. Luke takes a deep inhale of the city air, his lungs filling with the cold and tickling the back of his throat. Calum turns his head to look at Luke whilst his eyes are shut, appreciating the gentle whir of the cars below and the breeze teasing his curls. Calum studies the sharp crease of Luke’s jawline, his broad frame and the way his toes turn inwards due to being unable to coordinate his large body, his too-tight jeans on his gorgeous ass. Calum has to swallow his saliva in an attempt to draw himself back and turn his gaze away.

Out of the blue, Luke’s gentle voice cuts through the comfortable silence: “When did you first realise you were gay?” he asks, turning his head to face Calum as he turns around to lean his arse against the metal railing.

“Probably about sixteen, when Ashton accidentally brushed my cock with his hand whilst we were getting changed for gym class” Calum replies, a low laugh escaping him as Luke laughs in response, “But, like, on a serious note, I think I always knew I was gay. Like – you just have this gut feeling, don’t you? When other people start talking about girls in a way that you don’t even think about, it’s when you realise that you’re different.”

“What about you?” Calum asks, running his hand through his hair before drifting closer to Luke, his hand on the railing brushing against Luke’s resting waist.

“I don’t think I can pinpoint it exactly, because like you said, you just have this _feeling_ that you don’t have for girls” he says, chewing on his lower lip as though he was contemplating what those feelings were, “I mean, I was never a particularly ‘feminine’ kid, without being insulting, and I wouldn’t say that _either_ of us are particularly ‘feminine’ now, but like – _I_ could tell I was gay even if other people didn’t know straight away.”

“Yeah I know what you mean” Calum hums in reply, twiddling with the bottom of Luke’s thin shirt, toying with one of the loose buttons, “Do you like whisky?” he asks, unintentionally changing the subject.

“Yeah, especially if you’re offering” Luke smirks, catching his bottom lip between his front teeth and letting it slip through. Luke follows Calum inside, admiring his lean body and _incredible_ thighs in those black jeans. Luke is intrigued by Calum; the fact that the boy drinks whisky on ice out of choice, that he claims to not want to settle down, his affair with a married man. This is the sort of guy that Luke’s mother would tell him to roll his eyes at and ignore, but Luke cannot ignore Calum, no matter how much he rolls his eyes. Calum brings an aura with him, an aura telling Luke to let loose and give into temptation for the first time, an aura that sucks Luke in like a tidal wave on the California coast.

Before Luke can get too philosophical in his own head, Calum is passing him a rather large glass of whisky and pulling a small plastic bag out of his pocket. If Luke was naive, he would ask why Calum had brought baking powder to make a cake, but Luke isn’t naïve, despite his child-like exterior suggesting otherwise.

“Stops you getting drunk” says Calum, flicking the bottom of the bag so the powder sits neatly at the bottom, “And makes you feel fucking amazing, like a pornstar on national TV” he follows up with, making Luke giggle.

“I’m not stupid Calum, you don’t need to patronise me when you talk about coke” he teases, resting his head on Calum’s shoulder so he can observe the other boy using his credit card to tap the substance into daintily thin white lines. Calum muttered an apology whilst Luke grazed his teeth on the other boy’s earlobe, Calum flinching slightly at the contact, causing Luke to smirk from behind him.

Luke sipped his whisky, wincing slightly before Calum turned to him and asked: “You got a dollar?” Luke nodded in response, opening up his tattered brown wallet and allowing a cent to fall out onto the floor in the process of pulling out the note. Calum neatly rolled up the note, offering Luke the first line whilst he held his delicate blonde curls back for him, downing his whisky in one fair swoop. Luke snorted his line, throwing his head back up and holding his other nostril down, breathing in further to ensure that nothing remained. Calum bit his lip at the sight, Luke’s pale skin taut on his neck and his veins threatening to burst through.

“Fuck me” shuddered Luke, beaming at Calum has he passed him the note, stretching his jaw to ease out the tension in his face. Calum was even quicker than Luke, snorting the powder and straightening back up as though nothing had even happened. They stood there, smirking at each other, their skin tingling and their senses heightened, adrenaline beginning to pump through their bodies at five times the usual rate.

Calum stepped forward and traced one of Luke’s collarbones that had peeked out from the collar of his shirt, Luke’s heightened senses meaning that his breath caught in his throat. Calum continued to trace his collarbone, back and forth, back and forth, before he reached up and curled his tanned hand round the back of Luke’s neck, pulling him towards him.

Their lips crashed together somewhat aggressively, urgency lying behind every movement they made. Calum’s hand continued to hold the back of Luke’s head exceptionally gently considering the pace their lips were moving at, all tongue and teeth and no romance in the slightest, just _want_. Luke’s fingertips turned white with the pressure they were placing upon Calum’s hips; his hands having snuck under the other boy’s thin black t-shirt. Their breaths were hot against one another’s cheeks, Luke emitting an almost embarrassing sigh as Calum slipped his tongue through Luke’s red-flushed lips, delving into the cavern of his mouth.

Luke pulled Calum even closer, with a sense of urgency and desire, his teeth catching Calum’s lower lip and tugging, earning him a groan in response from the other boy. In response to Luke’s confidence, Calum slammed him back against the countertop, leaving Luke with nothing but the hot press of Calum’s denim against his own. Despite having Luke in such a vulnerable position, the blonde still had the courage to slip one of his pale hands into Calum’s back pocket, forcing their hips to meet and for – _oh_ – Calum’s _undeniable_ hard-on to press against Luke’s thigh, causing a smirk to appear on the blonde’s face.

“Fuck off” Calum groans, accepting the fact that his arousal is evident and grinding his crotch against Luke’s thigh whilst sucking a deep, purple mark into his neck, a pathetic whimper escaping Luke’s swollen lips.

Luke didn’t want to seem pathetic and therefore took the bold step to quickly flick the button of Calum’s jeans and unzip them, desperately dragging them down so that he could see Calum’s white Calvin Klein briefs. Calum didn’t seem to mind, as in response, he ripped Luke’s shirt off of his body, buttons scattering all-over Ashton’s neat kitchen and causing a gasp to escape Luke, faltering his rubbing palm on Calum’s semi-erect cock.

“You fucking asshole” grumbles Luke, tightening his hand around Calum’s clothed cock, “That was my favourite shirt.”

“Get over it” Calum grits, lifting his head from Luke’s head to smirk and drop to his knees, an action that Luke was _not_ expecting. Luke’s hands gripped the marble as though he couldn’t stand up without it, his knuckles turning white as he tried to steady his breathing. Calum had _never_ seen something quite like it; Luke’s neck and chest flushed, heaving as he fluttered his eyes clothes as Calum pulled his boxers and jeans down at a painfully slow pace. Calum wasn’t one to suck dick on the first date – to be honest, Calum _rarely_ sucked dick – but Luke made a flame rise inside Calum’s stomach that he couldn’t ignore, a flame that made Calum’s skin feel too tight and a flush to rise onto his own chest.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” Luke mutters under his breath, thinking that Calum couldn’t hear him. Calum _could_ hear him and it motivated him even more, breathing hotly over Luke’s exposed cock, it twitching in response to the heat being blown over it. Calum smirked before realising that _he_ was actually the one who was going to have to put the hard work in.

Before Calum could crush his own pathetic ego by refusing to suck a gorgeous guys cock (despite the fact he would have to see him at work _tomorrow),_ he took Luke’s swollen, almost-purple head into his mouth and concaved his cheeks, causing Luke to shakily gasp and flutter his eyes closed. Calum didn’t think about the fact that he was going to fuck his best-friend, Ashton’s, employee, he was thinking about how when he cups and gently strokes Luke’s balls the blonde whimpers above him, clinging onto the marble counter for dear life. Calum wasn’t thinking about the fact that he didn’t even know where his _bed_ was yet, because he was too busy running his nails down the front of Luke’s quivering thighs, leaving ruby marks in his wake.

Calum wasn’t thinking. Calum was _living_. Calum was _alive_ and _passionate_ for the first time in years. He wasn’t thinking about his own cock throbbing in the confines of his briefs, begging for Luke’s saliva coated lips to take him, he was actually thinking about how _Luke_ feels in this moment. Luke’s hiccupped breathing made Calum concentrate on taking his length as far down his throat as he could without gagging and tears filling his eyes, holding Luke’s thrusting hip in a vice-like hold between his tanned hand and the marble, making Luke’s hip-bone bruise on impact.

“Calum – Cal, I’m…I’m gonna” Luke stuttered, cheeks flushed the brightest of pink, the tip of his nose almost read as he squeezed his eyes shut and his cock kicked in Calum’s mouth, the other boy’s pace slowing slightly as he realised that Luke had come. Luke quivered, his hands shaking as he pulled Calum off his pulsating cock, saliva connecting Calum’s lips to his head still. Luke couldn’t stop looking at the glorious sight before him, and if he hadn’t already came, he thinks that he could get-off just from the way Calum looked in that moment; his hair unruly from Luke’s fingers carding through, his lips swollen and shining under the kitchen lights, and the _smirk_ he had on his face.

“Sorry, I – I um, should have warned you sooner” Luke apologised, beginning to get self-conscious and pulling up his flamingo patterned briefs: _“fuck_ ” he thought when he realised how pathetic his underwear was.

“Nah dude, it’s cool. Just shows I was doing a pretty good job” Calum smirks, tugging up and refastening Luke’s jeans for him as the blonde boy blushed, feeling like his mother was dressing him for pre-school again. “You owe me one in the morning though” Calum teased, licking a bead of sweat beginning to travel down Luke’s neck, nipping the earlobe when he reached the top.

“I can do it now?” Luke proposes, ghosting his hand over Calum’s crotch before realising that the other boy had already pulled up his jeans, Luke suddenly feeling really embarrassed that he hadn’t got to prove how good _he_ was at sucking cock.

“I think we should have a coffee and get to know each other a bit more, yeah?” Calum pondered, walking over to Ashton’s espresso machine and turning it on before waiting for an answer; “I’d love to know some cool shit about you now I’ve seen how pretty your cock is” he winks.

Luke blushes, unsure what to do in this scenario considering he’d never really had a one-night stand before; “Yeah, yeah. Cool” he flusters, scratching behind his head and feeling delicate beads of sweat there.

“I don’t normally do this” they both say at the same time, laughing awkwardly. Luke runs his hand through Calum’s hair when he realises there’s some of his own saliva in it, not really thinking about how gentle his actions were until Calum almost purred from sheer bliss.

 

_Luke could get used to this._

_Calum wasn’t sure what he was doing, but he was starting to feel settled in New York – and that scared him._


	2. Close to Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum falls deeper and deeper, refusing to show Luke where his mind is heading.

_“I build a home and wait for someone to tear it down_ _  
Then pack it up in boxes, head for the next town running”_

**Chapter 2:**

 

Calum woke up to his head thumping, a clammy forehead, and Luke sprawled over his chest. He rubbed his palms into his eyes, hoping that he would stop feeling like shit, but in the process, the younger boy stirred on his chest, grumbling a “morning” to him.

“Hey” Calum hummed, running his fingers up and down Luke’s naked back, “Do you want coffee or anything?” he continued, diverting his eyes down to look at the blonde.

“Depends what time it is” Luke stated, stretching out and nearly smacking Calum in the face in the process. Calum reached to the rustic bedside table, swiping his lock screen which was currently a picture of the night sky in Los Angeles, his clock showing 11:43am. He showed the time to Luke, the blonde jumping out of bed muttering _“fuck, fuck, fuck”_ , to which Calum raised his eyebrows in confusion.

Luke noticed this before saying “I’m supposed to be at a job interview at twelve!” he panicked, attempting to tug his too-tight jeans back on, nearly falling over in the process.

“Oh shit” Calum joined in with the grumbled swearing, swinging his legs off the low bed and throwing the covers back, grabbing Luke’s shirt to help him out a bit, “I can give you a lift if that helps? Ash’s car is out front.”

“Yes please” Luke whines, having swiped his shirt from Calum and giving him a weak smile as he put it on, Calum realising he would _also_ have to get dressed if he was driving Luke anywhere.

“Where do you need to be?” Calum asks, a ridiculous question seeing as though he only arrived in New York yesterday.

“PWC” Luke states, grabbing Calum’s hand slightly too-tightly and tugging him out of the room with urgency.

“As in, PricewaterhouseCoopers? Like, the fucking international finance company?” Calum asks dumbfounded, letting Luke drag him through the house until they get to the front door, shoving their toes into their shoes and Calum lunging to grab the car keys he spotted on the coffee table.

“Yep” Luke hums, letting Calum unlock Ash’s black BMW before throwing himself in the passenger seat, “Hurry up man” he continued, his eyes pleading with Calum to _get a fucking move on_. Calum started the engine, startling himself slightly when he accidentally over revved the car, making Luke laugh as he plugged Calum’s seatbelt in for him. Luke used the maps on his phone to pull up the route to the headquarters, Calum seeing that the journey would only take thirteen-minutes, meaning that, whilst Luke isn’t in the most appropriate attired and smells like a barrel of moonshine, he will be there on time.

“What role are you interviewing for? The only thing I know about PWC is that they’re one of the ‘big-four’ auditing companies” Calum rambles, wanting to know more about Luke in this short journey than they probably have time for.

“I’ve got a law degree, so I applied for a role in their legal department” Luke mutters, almost as though he’s embarrassed.

“Shit! That’s awesome dude!?” Calum enthused, flashing a quick toothy grin at Luke before he refocused on the task in hand.

“Cheers Cal” Luke blushes, studying the sleep-deprived features of the brunette before deciding he should probably look for some chewing gum in the car seeing as he didn’t get chance to brush his teeth.

“Where did you study? For the law degree, I mean” Calum continued, genuinely curious about what other secrets the blonde might be hiding.

“Harvard” Luke reluctantly admits, chewing a piece of stale gum he found and trying to lick off a cola stain from his creased shirt, “I’ll never fucking get it looking like this” he groaned, giving up and throwing his head back against the seat in a huff.

“Okay, so you’re like, super genius, yeah?” Calum pries, smirking as he sees Luke roll his eyes, “I’ll take that as a yes, because you’re definitely not the type to admit when you’re good at something” he continues.

“Says you, Mr. ‘I’m not good at anything’!” Luke retaliates, winding Calum up if he was going to try and rile him up.

“Touché” Calum smirks, looking over at the blonde whilst they both give a breathy laugh and Luke turns to look out of the passenger window. Before they know it, Calum has sped through the traffic (most likely earning him a speeding ticket) and they’re outside the front of PWC, Luke jumping out before Calum can really ask anymore questions, saying “thanks” and pressing a kiss to Calum’s lips before leaving. As Luke starts to run up the stairs out the front of the building, Calum winds down his window and shouts: “Good luck blondie!” causing Luke to throw his head back and give Calum the most innocent of toothy grins, mouthing “thank you” in response.

Calum pulled up the window and let his head fall back against the driver’s seat, closing his eyes and sighing as he cracked his neck. He could still feel Luke’s swift kiss lingering on his lips, causing him to bring his hand up and ghost his fingers over them. When he closed his eyes, all he could see was Luke’s tall, pale body holding onto Ashton’s marble counter-top for dear life, his jaw dropping open and closed like a goldfish as Calum put his mouth around him.

A car horn behind him caused Calum to jolt up from his gentle daydream and throw his middle-finger up at the guy behind him before bringing the engine back to life. He pressed the button of Ashton’s CD player hoping something was decent in it, a laugh escaping him and a small shake of his head when Biffy Clyro started to play: Ashton was just so predictable. He drove the short journey home trying to not think about Luke; about how his interview was going, whether he put his underwear on backwards, whether he was using his twinkling charm on an older man to land himself a dream job. Calum stopped at that thought, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the fact that the thought of Luke flirting made him feel a bit off-colour.

***

“You’re alive!” Calum shouts from the sofa as Ashton collapses through the front door, the other boy groaning when he had to adjust to the volume of Calum’s chirpy voice.

“Just about” Ashton responds, not even bothering to take his shoes off and throwing himself down onto the opposite sofa, “Where did you get to last night? I just remember you asking for my keys and then legging it” he continues.

“Just came back here” Calum shrugs nonchalantly, immediately raising Ashton’s suspicions.

“Well that’s a fucking lie if I ever did hear one” the curly haired boy retorted, turning onto his side whilst remaining laid down, resting his head on his palm and staring at Calum with a smirk, “Just seems a bit suspicious that you and Luke left at _exactly_ the same time?” he teased.

“We just got a taxi together, that’s all” he swallowed, hoping that Luke didn’t live on the other side of the city.

“And that’s why his necklace and socks are on the floor in my kitchen?” he raises his head, indicating to the items he had clearly spotted. Calum’s eyes opened wide, clearly rumbled, causing Ashton to break out into a fit of laughter.

“Fucking hell Cal, you’ve never been able to lie to me, so don’t start now” he chuckles, sitting up so the two of them face each other across the coffee table; “Can I say one thing though?” he continues, looking slightly concerned. Calum nodded a yes in reply, kicking his right foot into the carpet uncomfortably.

“Don’t hurt him” Ashton said sincerely, pulling up Calum’s chin so that they’re looking at one another, “He’s – he’s so sweet Cal and…I don’t know, like, I trust you and everything but…” he trailed off, running a rough hand over his stubbled face.

“But what?” Calum continues, looking straight into Ashton’s eyes, stilling the foot that was digging into the carpet.

“I know that you’re not really the settle-down-and-have-a-normal-relationship kinda guy” Ash states, giving Calum a weak smile, “But I know for a fact that Luke is” he continues, “He’s only young Cal and he’s got a heart of gold, so don’t go breaking it just so you can enjoy your time here.”

Whilst the words should hurt Calum, he knows exactly what Ash is saying – basically telling him to keep his distance from Luke and not to use him. But Calum _didn’t_ use him, because in all honesty, he didn’t get-off last night because he was too busy pleasing Luke, and that is _not_ something that Calum would normally do.

“I won’t man” Calum tries to apologise almost, “I actually wanna get to know the kid a little bit, like, I just fucking dropped him off at PWC because he’s got a secret law degree!?” Calum defends himself, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

“Yeah, I know” Ashton laughs, both of them leaning back into their respective sofas a little bit, “He just rang me saying that he got the job. He’ll stop working the bar this Friday” Ash continued, smiling like a parent would when their child graduated from college.

 Calum was a mixture of over the moon and devastated. Over the moon because, well, Luke had managed to land himself a job that probably pays more a year than Calum will ever see in his life, but also devastated because he won’t be working with the chirpy blonde for much longer, leaving a churning feeling in his stomach at the thought of not seeing him again if he gets taken away into the corporate world.

“That’s awesome” Calum manages to choke out, feigning a smile whilst Ashton continues to beam and shake his head in disbelief.

“The kid deserves it more than anyone I know” Ashton praises, “He’s gonna take on the world in the subtlest of ways” he chuckles, getting up from the sofa and stretching. “Coffee?” he continues, squeezing Calum’s baby-cheeks together, making him nod instead of actually waiting for an answer; “Good decision” he jokes, Calum shaking his head out of the other boy’s grip and flopping back against the sofa, watching Ashton pick up Luke’s necklace and rest it gently on the marble counter-top the blonde had been gripping the night before. Before he could dwell on his own emotions, Calum sent a text to Luke before he got chance to properly weigh up the pros and cons of doing that:

_Calum: Fancy a drink before work?_

_Luke: Sure :)_

***

They agreed to meet at a sports-bar not far from where they worked, which seemed ironic considering they _work_ in a bar. Calum had been waiting ten minutes for Luke already, his right hand holding his beer steadily whilst he watched the college lacrosse game on the screen behind the bar, occasionally pressing on his phone to check the time.

“Boo!” a presence from behind him said into his ear, causing Calum to flinch and to swing his head round to see who it was, a playful smile on Luke’s face when they say each other.

“Fucking dick” Calum mused, shaking his head lightly before collaring the bartender and asking for another Corona for Luke, “I heard the news” Calum continued, smiling softly at the blonde who had sat on the tattered red stool next to him, leaning his forearms on the sticky bar.

“Oh yeah” Luke said, smiling at Calum before turning his head back briefly to check out the score, “I’m assuming Ash told you? I didn’t text you because I forgot that you’d put your number in my phone last night” Luke gushed, laughing at himself and thanking Calum for his beer when it arrived in front of him.

“Yeah, I wanted to meet you before work so I could hear a bit more about you seeing as you dropped the bomb-shell of a Harvard law degree on me this morning” Calum teased, turning his body around slightly so that their knees gently knocked together.

“Okay then” Luke sat up straight as though in an interview, causing Calum to laugh when the blonde folded his hands in his lap, “Shoot” he continued. Calum thought about where he could start. He could ask about Luke’s family? Why he worked at a bar seeing as though he has a law degree?

“When’s your birthday?” is what Calum stupidly settled on, Luke quirking his eyebrow and laughing obviously not expecting such a trivial question.

“16th of July. Next” Luke responded, sipping his beer and turning fully so that their knees were facing one another

“Where were you born and what are your family like?” Calum presses on, wanting to understand why Luke lives in New York but doesn’t even appear to have a very strong American accent.

“I was born in Sydney, but we moved to New York with dad’s work when I was, like, six maybe?” he responded, which put Calum’s mind at ease in regards to the strange twang Luke has in his voice, “And I’ve got two older brothers; Ben and Jack.”

“Cool” Calum hums, sipping his drink and ordering two more for them, “You can ask me some now if you want?” he continues, Luke smirking and stroking his blonde stubble to mock being deep in thought.

“What was your first job?” Luke asks, licking his chapped lower lip, ghosting his fingertips over Calum’s knee slightly before reaching into his pocket to pay for the two more beers that Calum ordered.

“I was a receptionist in a dental practice” Calum chuckles, flashing his pearly whites as though that would indicate something. Luke laughed along with him, thinking about what to ask next.

“Where did you grow up and when did you decide to leave and live on the road?” Luke continued, looking at Calum fleetingly between rolling a cigarette on his lap, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth slightly in concentration.

“Grew up just outside of Indianapolis, and left just after the affair, so…two years ago” he said matter-of-factly, comfortable with admitting this due to the fact that Luke already knows about the married man.

“Do you miss your family and stuff?” Luke continues, putting his rolled cigarette behind his ear and leaning his head on his palm with the arm he had resting against the bar.

This was a question Calum would normally just say “no” to, but having thought about what Luke said yesterday, about how he doesn’t understand how someone could just up-sticks and leave everything behind, he actually started to _think_ about things. The reality was yes, he did miss his family, especially his sister who used to paint his nails dark purple for him and let him wear her jeans because they were skinnier than his. He missed the way his mum gave him a hug every time he came home from work, calling him ‘petal’ and asking how his day had been. He even missed his dad who always told him to ‘man up’ whenever Calum came home from school crying because he failed a test. His dad did help him to man up, but Calum thinks that where all his problems began to start: refusing to show emotion and not get attached to things.

“Truth?” Calum chokes back finally, knowing full well that Luke would nod his head in response, subtly prying into Calum’s subconscious; “Yeah I do” he continues, “My sister was my entire world, and I’ve not spoken to her in nearly a year now” he admits, fiddling with a cork beer mat resting on the bar.

Luke didn’t really know how to respond, so he squeezed Calum’s thigh in a comforting way, in a way to sort of reassure him that things will be okay; “Smoke?” Luke says to change the conversation slightly, Calum nodding and grabbing his pack of cigarettes off the bar, following Luke out the front of the building, appreciating Luke’s change of shirt – an unbelievably enticing pink, sheer lace one on top of a plain white t-shirt, an outfit choice that would look very feminine on anyone other than Luke and his ridiculously broad frame.

They stand outside, close to one another with their shoulders touching, a sense of comfort resting between them as they lit their cigarettes and took the first drag.

“You should call her” Luke chimes up with, softly smiling at Calum before running his fingers across Calum’s cheek and collecting an eyelash, blowing it away with his own mouth and watching it flutter down to the ground.

“Who, Mali?” Calum responds, his sisters name falling out of his mouth as a bit of a choke, steadying himself with consistent drags of his cigarette. Luke nods his head, searching Calum’s face for an unspoken response.

“Maybe I will” Calum mutters, sighing heavily and running a hand down his face before Luke catches it, intertwining their fingers and rubbing his thumb on the back of Calum’s hand comfortingly.

***

They’ve finished work and Calum is going home with Luke this time; but neither of them are drunk. They drive home and make small-talk, continuing the discussion about their families, Luke wanting the exact description of Mali’s appearance because he wants to be able to visualise her when Calum says sweet things about her. Luke tells him about the time he tried to keep a pet snail, but his older brother stole it and microwaved it until it exploded, Luke genuinely believing that it scarred him for life.

Calum asks why Luke decided he wanted to study law, and Luke gave a very simple answer: because there’s too much injustice in the world. Luke’s plan is to work in corporate law for a few years, earn a hefty amount of cash so that he can work _pro bono_ , meaning that he will defend vulnerable people without them paying him – essentially very difficult volunteer work. He wants to campaign to get rid of the death penalty in every state, something that Calum believes is impossible, but it doesn’t stop Luke explaining why he would fight against it until the day he dies.

Calum thinks Luke is _too good_ for this world, but especially too good for him.

They arrive at Luke’s apartment, the blonde boy obviously not originally planning to ask Calum over because he has textbooks all over the flaw and photocopies of legal documents that he has highlighted strewn all over _every_ surface. Stained coffee cups litter every surface along with the endless amounts of paperwork, a few spillages on some pieces.

“I would say it’s normally tidier than this, but this is probably the tidiest it’s been in years” Luke laughs, shoving some bits of paper off the couch so that Calum can actually sit somewhere.

“It’s cool. It’s the house of a true intellectual” Calum jokes, helping Luke move some important-looking laminated sheets into the kitchen, pilling them up beside the fridge.

“Do you want anything to eat? We can order some pizzas in if you like? Dominoes is just down the road” Luke ponders, pretending he didn’t hear Calum’s stomach rumbling from the other side of the room. Calum nods, looking at the photos that Luke has stuck to his fridge, scattered in and amongst various magnets, including his ‘Harvard’ one holding his graduation photo in place.

“Pepperoni would be awesome” Calum includes before taking a photo off the fridge of Luke and Lily, kissing each other in front of a backdrop of fireworks, “What’s this?” Calum continues, slightly perplexed by the photo.

“Me and Lily, obviously” Luke continues, loading up his laptop and loading the search engine, only glancing up when Calum asked the question.

“Kissing, eh?” Calum continues, subtly prying for more information than Luke was letting on.

“Yeah, it was at New Year” Luke explains, clicking his mouse and ordering two pepperoni pizzas for the two of them, “She’s been my best-friend since we started working together, she studied at Harvard too but I didn’t know her before the bar” he continues.

“Cute” Calum gently smiles, putting the photo back in place and reaching for one of Luke in glitter booty-shorts with four other guys, “Now _this_ , is hot” Calum teases, pretending to fan his face as though he’s flustered.

“I think they suit me, personally” Luke continues the joke, coming up next to Calum and wrapping his left hand around his waist, “I’ve still got them somewhere, so maybe I could give you a strip tease for your birthday?” he jokes, teasingly slapping Calum’s ass making the other boy jump.

“I think I’d like that, actually” Calum smirks, turning around so his back is against the fridge, bringing Luke in for a gentle kiss, dropping the photo onto the kitchen floor in the process.

The kiss doesn’t stay gentle for long however, as before long, Calum is exploring Luke’s mouth with his tongue whilst clinging to the younger boy’s hips, Luke breaking off to press hard, open-mouthed kisses down the column of Calum’s throat, enticing a sigh from him. Very few words are spoken, with the only exchanges of sound being heavy breathing and smacking of lips whenever they return to kissing again, Luke now rubbing the palm of his hand against the tight denim straining against Calum’s crotch, making Calum’s head spin and his pulse throb against the blonde’s lips.

Luke’s teasing palm begins to frustrate Calum, the brunette throwing his head back against the fridge and groaning as Luke chuckles warmly against his neck: “Wanting more, huh?” Luke teases, a new-found confidence seeming to appear now that he’s in the comfort of his own home. Calum is too stubborn to say that he _does_ want more, and instead, grits his teeth and moving so that he can suck harshly on Luke’s jaw, leaving an instant rouge mark there.

“Fuck” Luke grumbles, pulling his neck away and putting his hand around Calum’s throat, holding him in place against the fridge, just enough pressure that Calum can breathe, but that his cock also kicks with the thrill. Calum did _not_ expect this side of Luke, and he _fucking adores it_. Calum takes his lower lip into his mouth as he smirks, showing Luke that he is very much enjoying this side of him.

“Oh, you _like_ that, huh?” Luke teases, breathing hotly against Calum’s ear as his other hand continues to put pressure on the brunette’s crotch, rhythmically moving his palm and beginning to grasp around his length through his jeans; “You didn’t strike me as the sub type” Luke smirks, dragging his teeth along Calum’s collarbone peeking out of his t-shirt before releasing his hand from Calum’s throat.

“I’m not usually” Calum shrugs, pressing his lips to Luke’s fiercely, catching the younger boy off guard, resulting in him being picked up at the waist and carried to the sofa scattered in academic notes, “I can take it or leave it” he teases as he drops Luke on the couch, the blonde boy appreciating the return of Calum’s dominant side and flashing him a cheeky grin.

Calum positions himself with one thigh either side of Luke’s right one, his crotch pressing against Luke’s thigh and vice versa, the weight of Calum’s body melting perfectly into Luke’s; “What about your precious notes, pretty boy?” Calum continues to tease, rolling their hips together as Luke begins to submit, his eyes rolling back slightly and his back arching, Luke meekly whispering _“fuck ‘em”_ in response.

Calum takes that as a greenlight when Luke slips his hands between them to unbutton both of their jeans, their brief clad cocks rubbing together and making them both groan, but more so Luke when Calum licks up the side of the blonde’s neck, making him quiver and say: “Please Cal,  touch my cock, I’ll – _fuck – I_ ’ll do anything just, _please_ ” in the most desperate voice Calum thinks he’s _ever_ fucking heard, and _god_ if that doesn’t make his heart jump and his briefs feel even tighter.

“Fucking gorgeous” Calum mumbled against the taut skin of Luke’s neck, the blonde shuddering and letting out a feeble groan when Calum wraps his dry hand around Luke’s aching cock, reaching the head and spreading the pre-cum in order to slicken things up. Luke responds by building up the courage to do the same with Calum’s cock, both of them picking up the pace and thrusting into one another’s fist for the perfect friction; “ _Jesus_ Luke, you’re something else I swear-” Calum stammers, his eyebrows knitting together.

“No, I’m just Luke” the blonde sneaks out jokingly, Calum responding with a low groan and fisting Luke’s cock even faster to _shut him the fuck up_. Calum doesn’t want anymore words for now; he wants to fucking _come_ , all over the pretty blonde boy below him. Stupid Luke and his stupid curly hair and his too-perfect face and all those things Calum wants to hate but _already adores_ and it makes him feel sick; the vulnerability makes him want to cry and punch Luke but _god_ that boy is too precious.

Before Calum can torment himself much more by convincing himself that he hates Luke when he is actually _besotted_ with him, Luke chokes on his own air, gasping and gasping before he comes hot and fast all over Calum’s fist, the older boy losing his balance as his high approaches and smears cum everywhere. Luke’s pace faltered slightly when he first moaned Calum’s name, pathetically and soprano in the brunette’s ear, but soon enough he focuses himself, and Calum is coming too, whimpering an embarrassing amount as Luke whispers encouraging nothings into his ear, telling him how he’s _‘so fucking hot’_ and _‘so so good at this, Cal’._

Catching their breath is the easy part; the two of them stuck together in a filthy mess, content and wiped out at the same time, Luke beginning to shuffle when Calum’s weight on top of him is too much and his soft cock hurts from the denim of Cal’s jeans rubbing against it.

“Sorry dude” Calum hums, peeling himself off the younger boy and flopping onto the floor, his head slack against the couch behind him, Luke gently carding his fingers through Calum’s hair as he remains laid in the mess of textbooks, sweat and cum, completely blissed out, the two of them settling into a peaceful silence.

“You okay?” Luke mutters, his eyes remaining closed as he continues to run his fingers through Calum’s damp hair; “You came pretty hard” he chuckles lightly from above.

“I’m fucking great” Calum responds, eyes also closed as he leans into Luke’s gentle touch, the blonde boy’s fingers pressing lightly to his skull, making him feel comfortable and safe – something Calum hasn’t felt in a long time; “Are you okay? Didn’t mean to squash you at the end.”

“I’m great too” says Luke, words barely a whisper as his hand slows down in Calum’s hair, his eyes fluttering as he begins to doze off; “Really, _really_ great…” he continues, his hand slowly falling out of Calum’s hair as he falls asleep, his hand landing on Calum’s chest, faintly feeling his heartbeat in his hand.

Calum held Luke’s hand gently, knowing that the blonde was asleep and taking advantage of this, allowing himself to enjoy the soft skin of Luke’s hand, the slight hairs on the back of it, and the warmth it brings to Calum’s chest:

_Both literally, and metaphorically._

 


	3. Baby Steps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short section to tie over into the upcoming large chapter that I will release in the next week!

_“It's just the place that changes, the rest is still the same”_

Waking up in Luke’s bed was something that Calum was beginning to get used to, but the panic in his heart when he looks to his left and sees the blonde delicately breathing onto his shoulder and moulding his body around his was something that he hadn’t got used to. Luke looked serene in the morning light, the gaps in the blinds sketching the first signs of dawn onto his skin, his chest rising as cars began to whirr on the roads beneath his apartment.

Luke had started his new job three weeks ago, leaving Calum working long shifts alone in the bar and doing coke at 2am to keep himself chirpy and welcoming to the drunken crowd. The two of them had settled into an odd routine of spending the early hours together and parting when Luke’s hectic schedule called him out of their calming bubble. Calum preferred it when it was a working day and he woke up in either his own bed or Luke’s but without the blonde next to him, reminding him that whilst he had moved town, he still hadn’t patched up loose ends with his family or himself. Sometimes he woke at lunchtime and Luke had left him a note telling him what time he should be finishing work, Calum often scrunching up the piece of paper and throwing it into the bin with a sigh before closing his eyes and hoping he could detach himself from the boy that he was ever falling for. Calum was scared, because Luke made him feel as though he was safe, and Calum couldn’t cope with that only being a temporary measure.

Luke stirred next to the older boy, a sleepy huff escaping him as his eyes began to flutter open. Calum instinctively shuffled to face him, giving him a lazy smile before kissing the blonde’s mouth gently.

“I wouldn’t kiss me if I were you” Luke grumbled, scrunching up his nose; “My breath smells like arse.”

“You are an arse, so it’s a smell I’m used to” Calum teased, Luke laughing through his nose and fluttering his eyes open fully, squinting slightly in the morning light.

“Touché” Luke responded, flinging the duvet off himself and stretching his limbs in every direction, jokingly kicking Calum in the process; “Coffee?” the blonde continued, cracking his neck and sitting up in the large bed.

“Yes please” Calum responded, joining Luke in removing the duvet before standing; “Seeing as it’s a weekend do you want to go shopping or something?” he asked cautiously, still not entirely sure what level their relationship was at.

“Shopping?” Luke queried, chuckling breathily; “I might be gay, but I still fucking hate shopping.”

“You know what I mean, like, not necessarily shopping but – like, we could go out somewhere? Fuck I don’t know” Calum babbled, his own brain telling him off for asking such a stupid question.

“That sounds nice” Luke responded, walking around the bottom of the bed and searching for Calum’s body, his hands meeting the brunette’s waist and pressing a kiss to the crook of his neck; “But I also think you should finally get in touch with your sister” he continued, running his right hand through Calum’s unruly hair.

Calum sighed, breaking away from the embrace and running his own hand through his hair, scratching at his neck; “Yeah maybe” he said without really meaning it.

“Please” Luke said before taking Calum’s hand and running his thumb over the back of it, “I’m sure she’d love to hear from you” he smiled, pulling a huffing Calum back into his arms, the older boy giving in with a defeated sigh and pressing his face into Luke’s shoulder.

“Okay” Calum agreed, “But only if you make the coffee” he teased, pulling from Luke’s shoulder and pressing a peck to his cheek, leaving the embrace again to grab his phone from the bedside-table.

“That’s something I can agree to” Luke smiled, pulling a hoodie over his torso and some briefs up his legs; “But only because I want coffee too” he continued, the two of them leaving the bedroom and heading to the kitchen.

Luke’s house continued to be covered in paperwork – finished and unfinished. The blonde’s grey suit was strewn over the brown leather sofa, his shirt somewhere in the pile of papers on the coffee table due to Calum’s enthusiastic welcome home yesterday evening, Luke’s cock thinking faster than his head due to the fact that his woollen suit would now need dry-cleaning this weekend considering the obnoxious white stain decorating it. The smell of fresh coffee filtered through the messy kitchen, Luke turning on the radio and listening to a politics channel – something that Calum believed should _not_ be allowed to happen this early in the day. The blonde muttered incoherent responses to statements made by experts being interviewed, most likely critical mumblings as he disagreed with the majority of mainstream politics. Calum took the opportunity to head to the balcony off the edge of the kitchen, sliding the door open and leaving Luke to grumble to himself in the corner. The brunette sighed as he began to roll a cigarette, thinking about how he could start the telephone conversation with Mali after not talking to her for so many years. Does he just start off with normal chatter, asking if she has a boyfriend or something? Or should he be a bit more considerate and maybe explain why it’s taken him so long to get in touch with her?

Fed up of over-thinking things, Calum opened up his contacts and pressed on her name, lighting up his cigarette and leaning against the cold wall of Luke’s building. After three short rings, his sister picked up, Calum’s heart racing as he tried to steady himself with slow drags of his cigarette.

“Calum?” she responded sleepily, Calum silently cursing himself when he realised that seven in the morning probably isn’t the best time to call her.

“Hey” he choked out in response, his heart pounding in his chest and blood whirring in his ears, “Sorry for calling so early” he feebly responded.

“Don’t apologise for the time of day, Cal. Maybe apologise for the fact that it’s been _three fucking years_ ” she spoke, a crack in her voice giving away the fact that she was already close to tears.

“I’m so sorry” Calum whispered; “I- I don’t event know how to begin to apologise enough for you to forgive me” he continued, closing his eyes and flopping his head back against the cool wall.

“You know I’ll always forgive you” she sighed, “I just want to know where you are and if you’re safe” she continued; “Mum asks me everyday if I’ve heard from you.” Calum began to tear up, taking a deep breath to steady himself upon hearing how upset he has left his family.

“I’m in New York, and I’m safe” he said, hearing Mali breathe a sigh of relief; “I’m staying with Ashton, you know, my friend from school?” he queried, Mali nodding in response before saying ‘yes’ after remembering that Calum cannot see her. “I’m actually quite settled” he continued, “I’ve got a steady job working in a bar and I’m kind of seeing someone?” he choked out, almost checking-in with himself to realise what him and Luke actually _were_.

“Wow” Mali responded with a sniffle, “As much as I’m fuming with you, I’m so fucking happy that you’re okay” she persisted, the sniffles getting more frequent as Calum heard her wipe her sleeve across her face.

“I miss you” Calum blurted out, tears threatening to spill from his own eyes when he heard his sister let out a small sob in response.

“I miss you too, Cal” she choked out; “Please just come home” she begged, Calum shaking his head in response despite her not seeing him.

“I can’t, Mal” he responded, “I’m actually _happy_ ” he sobbed, finally letting a tear slide down his cheek; “This guy, Luke, he’s – fuck Mali he’s incredible” Calum admitted, his heart pounding in his chest, “He’s a lawyer – younger than me though – I met him through Ashton” he rambled on, knowing that his sister was smiling in the background.

“Tell me more” she sniffled, a slightly happier tone in her voice as she heard her brother speak so passionately.

“He’s got blonde hair – curly-ish but not like Ashton, because he actually styles it” he chuckled, opening his eyes and taking a long drag on his cigarette; “He’s patient, he’s kind, he’s got strong morals, and – I don’t know, Mal, he’s just – a really great guy” he whispered towards the end, realising that Luke had begun to saturate every single one of his thoughts.

“I’ll have to come and visit” she retorted, “That’s if you’re actually staying in New York for a while?” she queried, knowing full-well that Calum doesn’t stay still for long.

“If I’m completely honest, Mal, I don’t think I’ll be leaving for a very, very long time.”

***

November in New York was beginning to show. Calum wore a black beanie and an oversized hoodie under his denim jacket, his fingers tucked inside the sleeve to keep them warm. Luke didn’t seem to mind the temperature quite as much as the older boy, his nose tinted a delicate pink as he wore an oversized suit jacket and black slacks, his curls rustling in the gentle breeze. They chatted casually on their walk, occasionally brushing fingers or shoulders when waiting to cross a road, the two of them catching eyes and smirking every now and again before diverting their attention. A thirty-minute walk seemed like thirty seconds with their easy conversation, bickering about how should buy the coffee when they get to the café, Luke always giving in due to the fact that he knows he’s earning a much greater salary than Calum.

Luke ordered two black coffees as Calum commandeered a table, the rustic aesthetic of the café meaning that the chairs were actually rather uncomfortable. Calum didn’t particularly notice the chair when instead he was watching the younger boy wait at the counter for their drinks, his tall frame looking nervous despite its size, his foot tapping as he fluttered his eyes across a menu by the cashier. Calum drummed his right hand against the old table, watching Luke’s slender legs tap gently as he waited, his slacks tightening around his thighs and making Calum’s eyes wander to places they shouldn’t in a public place. As the blonde received their coffees, Calum coughed and shuffled in his seat, making room for Luke to put the drinks down.

“One black coffee, sir” Luke mocked, bowing as he presented Calum’s drink, earning a cheeky grin in response from Calum.

“Thanks man” Calum responded, taking a sip and pretending as though he didn’t burn his mouth on the scalding drink; “This place is…old” Calum attempted to sum up the aesthetic, shuffling slightly closer to Luke under the table so their knees were bumping together across from one another.

“Rustic is probably a better way to describe it” Luke teased with a smirk, knocking his knee gently against Calum’s; “Lily brought me here ages ago and the coffee is great quality for the price” he continued.

“You sound like such an old man” Calum mocked, “Assessing places based upon the balance of price and quality.”

“It’s not an old man thing to do, it’s just the right way to assess” Luke defended, spooning a teaspoon of brown sugar into his coffee and stirring gently, almost absent-mindedly. “Anyway” Luke distracted, “Did you ring Mali?” he asked, putting the spoon down on the wooden table and refocusing on Calum.

The older boy nodded his head in response, swallowing his own saliva a bit nervously; “Yeah, um – she was pretty pissed off at first, but – I dunno, we just always end up talking as though I never left” he continued, staring down into the abyss of his hot drink.

“That’s good though, right?” Luke asks, placing his hand on the knee that Calum was jerking up and down.

“Yeah I guess” Calum sighed, stilling the leg that Luke had placed his hand on, “I just feel as though she forgives me too easily – I’ve put them through a lot, y’know?”

“I know, but she’s your sister, Cal. Family sticks together because – I dunno, you just never know when you’ll need each other I suppose” the blonde explained, running a thumb soothingly around Calum’s kneecap in slow figure-of-eights; “I’m glad you finally did it” he continued, “Do you feel better for it?”

Calum wanted to be honest and say that, yes, he did feel better for it, but for some reason, he remained guarded and just shrugged, not wanting to admit to himself that maybe things were beginning to change for him. He sighed heavily before sipping his drink, smiling lazily at Luke, and beginning to roll a cigarette. Luke asked if he could have one and Calum agreed – of course he did, he was falling hook-line-and-sinker for the other boy. Luke picked up their coffees and took them outside to the walled garden, the ivy climbing the red brick, deceiving their eyes and making them believe that they were somewhere outside of New York where nature was more prevailing. Calum joined him as they sat on the cold stone bench outside, their arms touching as they instinctively shuffled together for extra warmth.

“Have you ever thought about going to university?” Luke asked as Calum lit his cigarette for him, the blonde thanking him in return as he received it.

“Not really” Calum admitted, taking a drag of his own cigarette; “My grades were shit and I’ve never really thought about trying again, y’know?” he confessed, shuffling his toes inside of his Doc Martens to try and keep them toasty.

“Yeah I get what you mean, but I can just imagine you doing something like philosophy” Luke continued anyway, shrugging his shoulders and chancing a glance at the brunette, their eyes meeting as Calum furrowed his brown in confusion.

“Philosophy?” Calum queried, “Nah, fuck that. I’d have to do something logical – something that I know would be useful” he continued, reaching up meanwhile to remove a bit of ash that Luke had dropped onto the side of his jacket.

“What about…” Luke persisted, deep in thought and staring at the winding ivy opposite them, “Architecture or something? Like, I know you love art because you always do tiny doodles on the notes that you leave me” he smiled, resting his hand on Calum’s thigh as he turned to face him, taking a drag of his cigarette and aiming his exhale over the other boy’s shoulder.

“I’m not that good though” Calum grumbled, brushing his fingers over the hand that Luke rested on his thigh, “I mean – it would be really cool, but I can’t afford and I don’t think anywhere would even take me” he sighed in defeat, stubbing out his cigarette, resting his head on the wall and turning his head to face Luke’s. The blonde looked in thought for a few seconds, his fingers tapping against Calum’s inner-thigh as he scoured his own brain for ideas.

“Maybe you should go to England then?” Luke suggested, Calum looking at him confused, “Because, like, they’ve got loads of art courses and it costs way less than here. I’ve always thought about doing law there, so maybe we could get a little apartment or something in a few years when I’ve finished my contract and we could both do something we actually _want_ to do?” he continued, realising that he had overwhelmed Calum a little bit when the brunette stood up and coughed, breaking eye contact and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Sorry, I wasn’t like, suggesting we move there as a couple or anything, I just meant – like, we could share an apartment, with separate bedrooms and stuff, I just…I dunno, I’m sorry” Luke rambled, dropping his cigarette and standing opposite Calum, trying to catch eye contact as the other boy stared at the ground.

“I – I think I need to go” Calum blurted out, not even looking at the blonde’s face, “I told Ashton I’d clean the house and stuff, and – yeah I should do that” he mumbled, beginning to walk off, still not meeting Luke’s pleading gaze; “I’ll ring you soon or something.”

 

The blonde didn’t chase after him, Luke remaining defeated on the spot in the walled garden, sighing heavily as Calum walked away.


	4. Let Me Tell You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuck it, here's the 4th chapter! I hope you love it as much as I loved writing it. I'm still undecided about how many more chapters to do, but I love this relationship and will carry on until people get bored of it! ☀️

Luke: _Can you come over? We need to talk._

Calum sighed, dropping his phone onto the kitchen counter before back-tracking and checking he hadn’t scratched his screen. There was no scratch, but the glowing text message from Luke remained. It was 2am and Calum had just finished his shift two days after he pathetically stormed away from Luke. He hadn’t messaged, he hadn’t called, but he had thought about the younger boy non-stop. He knew he was being a child, running away from his feelings because he’s a big, stubborn toddler who doesn’t know how to confront his demons.

“Wassup, man?” Ashton chimed in, bringing two bottles of beer in and popping the lids off of them against the counter seamlessly, handing one to Calum who took it with a weak smile, “For fuck sake, have you still not spoken to the poor kid?” he scolded, putting his bottle down and sitting on the marble countertop next to Calum. Calum shook his head, too embarrassed to actually admit he was being a shit guy and not talking to the most _precious_ boy out there.

“Fucking hell, Cal. I _told_ you not to hurt him” Ashton shook his head before taking a long chug of his lukewarm beer.

“I know” Calum muttered before sipping his own drink, “I just – I think I’ve really fucked up Ashton” he confessed, furrowing his brown before chancing a glance at the older man.

“In what way?” Ashton pried firmly, meeting the brunette’s gaze.

“I think I really fucking like the kid” Calum whimpered petulantly, staring at Ash for some sort of reassurance, but instead being greeted with a breathy laugh and a shake of the other boy’s head.

“Well then yeah, you have fucked up, but not because you like him” Ashton retorted; “But because you won’t _let_ yourself like him” he continued, “You’ve always been so determined to not settle down and not like someone, but I don’t fucking understand? Luke is so kind, funny, intelligent – I mean, he’s the full package and you’re still pushing him away!”

Calum sighed before running a hand firmly across his face, “I know, Ash. I don’t need a fucking lecture to know that I’m being a dick” he responded glumly, chugging his beer and setting the empty bottle down on the counter, suppressing a belch from the speed her drank it.

“Well then, sort it out, Cal. You can’t run away forever – especially when you’re hurting one of my best friends and he’s done nothing wrong” Ashton sympathises, resting his hand on Calum’s shoulder to rotate him towards himself, “Please, dude – just go and see him and tell him how you fucking feel.” Calum knew Ashton was right – he knew he needed to admit his feelings, but _fuck,_ why does he find it so hard?

Calum picked up his phone, the message still glaring at him, sighing before opening it and typing a response:

Calum: _Give me 15 mins_.

Luke breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that Calum had replied, throwing the textbook off his lap that he was reading through and grabbing himself another vodka and lemonade from the kitchen. He knew he’d pushed Calum too far the other day, but he also knew how he _actually_ intended the question to sound and how Calum _interpreted_ it incorrectly. Luke wasn’t as delicate as people made him out to be. Sure, he was easily manipulated because he would bend over backwards to help people, but he kept himself guarded in the same way as Calum did, refusing to allow people to hurt him if he could avoid it.

Luke knew that I could get over-excited and say things in the moment that could scare Calum off, but all he truly wants is to help the older boy figure out who he is and what he actually wants from his life. Luke knows what he wants, and so far, he’s worked hard enough to get it: and that includes having Calum in his life, so he isn’t going to give up after one miscommunication.

The blonde went to the bathroom and stripped his work clothes off before splashing water over his face and looking at his reflection in the mirror. He saw the dark rings under his eyes from lack of sleep, he saw his blonde curls and reminded himself that he needed to get a haircut, but most importantly, he saw his reflection and actually smiled, a breathy laugh escaping him as he saw the person that he had always wanted to be. He had escaped his molly-coddling family and got his own apartment from the money that _he_ had earnt; he worked hard in a career that he _believes in_ ; and he had discovered that books that are shut the tightest, like Calum, can always be broken in to.

***

Calum arrived at Luke’s front door exactly 16 minutes later, mainly because he stood outside the apartment complex and hesitated before ringing the bell, not sure whether to go in and confess his stupid-fucking-feelings or to run away to another town like he always does. Calum settled, however, on ringing the front door for Luke to allow him access upstairs, before getting in the elevator and knocking on Luke’s apartment door.

“Hey” Luke mutters as he opens the door, his work clothes being replaced by a pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt, “I didn’t know whether you’d actually come or not.”

“Yeah, well, I thought it was best that I did” Calum continued, offering Luke a warm smile as he passed through the door, the blonde not exactly returning it.

“I’ve got whisky if you want some? There’s also a pack of smokes by the balcony – I thought you might want one when you got here” Luke stated, leading Calum into the kitchen that the other boy knows fairly well after being pinned against the fridge a few months ago.

“I’ll sort myself a drink” Calum smiled, “You go for a smoke and I’ll meet you out there” he continued, watching as the blonde wandered outside, his curls damp and his face slightly red indicating that he had just had a shower. Calum took a deep breath as he poured himself a drink, probably having more whisky than he normally would to calm his nerves a little. He smiled to himself at the fact that Luke had obviously bought in whisky just for Calum, ice-cubes also popping fresh out of the fridge when Calum pressed his glass to it.

The two boys reconvened on the balcony, Luke passing Calum a cigarette and lighting it for him, the two of them sitting on the two chairs Luke kept outside. It was unusually quiet for a Tuesday night in the centre of New York, the sky dark and the breeze brisk as Calum dug himself further into his hoodie. Calum took a heavy breath before speaking, unsure how to start his apology, but Luke got his own words in first:

“I don’t want to be messed around, Calum” Luke stated, sipping his drink before placing it on the table and shaking his head; “I don’t want us to be anything serious – I mean, fucking hell we’ve only known each other about a month! But I do want to be respected and for you to understand that I’m not asking you to settle-down for me, I just want to be able to enjoy a good thing whilst I have it, and by that I mean _you_ ” he gushed, his hand slightly shaking as he took a drag of his cigarette, still staring into the distance as he didn’t trust himself to look at Calum without tearing up.

“I’m sorry I freaked out” Calum started his apology, turning to face Luke despite the fact that the blonde was still looking out over the city. “I’ve never – and I mean _never_ , started liking someone as quickly as I like you” he almost whispered, stopping to deeply inhale his smoke before sighing and continuing; “You’re so understanding, so intelligent and so endearing that it just scares me that I’m actually interested in _everything_ about you rather than just the sex.”

Luke finally turned to face Calum, his features softer than the other boy expected. He gave a weak smile to Calum, running a hand through his slightly damp curls and tucking them behind his left ear.

“It kinda freaks me out too y’know? You’re not the only one who finds it hard to let their guard down” Luke stated, looking straight at Calum before stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray he kept on the table; “I _like_ you, Calum” he continued, “And that includes your stubbornness and lack of commitment” he teased, earning a breathy laugh from Calum.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, and believe me, it’s the _last_ thing I wanted to do” Calum reached for Luke’s hand and linked their fingers together on Luke’s lap; “But I also know a good thing when I see it, and I’m not ready to lose you yet” he continued. Calum was still unsure about how to settle therefore he added the ‘yet’ on the end so that he still has the option to leave if he wants to, even though it’s unlikely he ever will.

“So, let’s just take it steady, shall we?” Luke responded with a small smile, “But first, are you going to have sex with me or what?”

***

Ten minutes of making-out on the balcony later, Luke was desperate and Calum was more than willing to oblige. Calum followed Luke into his bedroom, his white curtains rustling with the gentle breeze and his bed un-made: something that was appearing to be a regular occurrence. The younger boy had clearly tidied his room a little as his cacti were in a neat row on top of his dresser, as well as his dirty clothes being in the laundry basket rather than strewn across the floor. Calum smiled as Luke pressed a kiss to Calum’s neck, the older boy flat against the wall as the tall blonde crowded him, his breath hot against Calum’s throat.

“You’re always so eager” Calum teased, slipping his hands up the back of Luke’s t-shirt and pulling him even closer by his waist, the blonde gently humming into his neck in response.

“I have a stressful job” Luke stated as though it was an obvious answer, Calum chuckling in his throat as Luke continued to press firm kisses up to his earlobe; “You’re the best stress relief in the fucking world” he hummed into his ear, Calum letting out a deep sigh as goosebumps prickled on his neck.

“That’s possibly the best compliment you’ve ever given me” Calum chuckled before moaning as Luke suckled on his earlobe, leaving a tiny purple mark in his wake. Calum muttered a _‘fuck_ ’ as Luke swapped sides of his neck to continue his assault, nibbling on the delicate skin as Calum continued to palm the boy’s back, clinging to him as though he was the root his life depended on. Calum had had enough of Luke’s teasing on his neck, pushing himself off the wall and walking Luke back until his knees hit the bed, Calum stepping back and indicating for the blonde to shuffle backwards.

Luke shuffled his body back whilst taking his t-shirt off, throwing it on the floor as his pink-tinted chest heaved under the gentle light of the night sky. Calum stood at the foot of the bed, smirking slightly as he eyed up Luke’s towering frame resting on his elbows as he waited for the brunette to undress and join him. Calum wasn’t in the mood for a strip-tease or anything else of the like, so he took matters into his own hands and removed his hoodie along with his t-shirt, dropping it on the floor before unfastening and removing his jeans too.

Luke watched patiently as Calum approached him on the bed on all fours, crowding into Luke’s space before the blonde dropped his elbows and allowed the older boy to climb on top of him, their heated chests inches apart as Calum leant down to press his lips firmly to Luke’s. The blonde sighed, his hands running up Calum’s back and settling on his shoulders, one hand teasing the hairs at the nape of his neck. Calum hummed in response, dropping his hips lower so that they were flush against one another – Calum’s brief-clad semi twitching as it brushed against Luke’s cold jeans, another groan slipping from the brunette’s lips.

“You’re so fucking pretty, Luke” Calum murmured as he detached their lips and pressed firm kisses to the column of Luke’s taut throat, the blonde whimpering slightly in response as he dug his hands tighter into the skin of Calum’s back, crescent moons dotting the older boy’s skin.

“Says you” Luke managed to whisper in response, Calum beginning to trial kisses down Luke’s chest, his eyes flickering up to watch the blonde shutter his sky-blue eyes closed as his breathing picked up; “Oh god” Luke whimpered, his hips bucking up in response to Calum now kissing his pale abdomen.

Calum popped the button on Luke’s jeans and indicated for Luke to raise his hips, the jeans tumbling down his legs and onto the floor in disregard. Calum ran his hands up Luke’s sides, careful to not brush too lightly and tickle the other boy, and instead clawing his nails down the front of Luke’s chest before breathing hotly over his brief-clad cock.

“Fuck, Cal, _c’mon_ ” Luke whined from above, his hair on end as he raised his head briefly off the duvet to see what was taking the brunette so long, their eyes meeting as Calum linked his fingers under the blonde’s orange Calvins, tugging them down his legs and seeing Luke in all his glory. The lights from the city illuminated Luke’s frame, his chest visibly heaving as Calum slipped back up his body to crash their lips together, their tongues dancing as Calum also kicked off his briefs.

“Wanna fuck you” Calum mumbled against Luke’s lips, “Can I do that?” he continued, the blonde biting the older boy’s lip and nodding in response, his breath fanning hot against Calum’s face as he whimpered at the thought, his hands clawing at Calum’s waist in desperation.

“Bedside table” Luke hummed, indicating where the lube was, the older boy detaching their bodies to collect the necessary materials; “Please Cal, stop being so fucking slow” Luke whined, Calum pressing kisses to his neck and opening the bottle of lube in response.

“I can’t help it. I just wanna take my time with you” he hummed to the blonde, pressing a peck to his cheek before resting on his knees between Luke’s spread legs, the two of them having done this together before, so Calum knew how Luke liked to be prepped. The older boy lifted Luke’s knees and bent his legs slightly, shimmying his own body flat onto the bed with his face pressed to Luke’s inner thigh, kisses being scattered on the delicate skin along with a few nips and marks.

“So good” Calum mumbled against Luke’s legs as the younger boy scrunched the sheets in his hands, Calum moving his face to blow cool air against Luke’s throbbing cock, the other boy sighing in response and involuntarily bucking his hips; “Keep still for me pretty boy” Calum smirked, squeezing lube onto his middle finger and gently rubbing circles against Luke’s hole.

“Fuck” Luke whined, his chest tight as he eagerly awaited the press of Calum’s finger inside him, the older boy using his free hand to languidly stroke Luke’s cock. Calum slowly pressed his finger inside Luke’s tight hole, releasing a breath he didn’t realise he was holding in before switching his gaze to gauge Luke’s reaction. The younger boy did not look to be in pain, and in response, carded his right hand into Calum’s hair, stroking his scalp encouragingly as Calum began to move his finger slowly.

“Another please” Luke asked straight away, Calum not questioning this and giving the younger boy what he wanted, prepping a second finger and slowly pressing two inside of him, the other boy letting out a whimper in response as his cock twitched against his lower abdomen, Calum satisfied that he was doing a good job.

Calum kissed every bit of Luke’s skin that he could reach from between his legs. He pressed kisses to his thighs, his calves, his abdomen and even pried one of the blonde’s hands wrapped in the sheets to kiss each finger. Luke opened up easily, the care Calum always took meaning that the boy felt comfortable and safe, his legs dropping open even wider as his breath began to pick up.

“I’m ready” Luke gasped as Calum removed the three fingers that he had built up to, Luke sitting up and stroking Calum’s semi-erect cock as the brunette kissed him fiercely, all tongue and teeth as he clumsily reached for a condom, the blonde’s flushed chest pounding against Calum’s own hammering heartbeat; “Let me” Luke continued, taking the condom and rolling it onto Calum’s cock as he pressed kisses along his jawline, the older boy sighing into the touch and running his hands up Luke’s freckled back, mapping his way across Luke’s very own galaxy.

With the condom on, Luke laid back against the soft sheets as Calum hovered over him, pressing a kiss to the blonde’s jaw as he rubbed his head against Luke’s hole, the blonde quivering in anticipation and sinking his hands into the flesh of Calum’s back. The older boy pushed in slowly, Luke’s breath catching in his throat and his hands instantly moving to clasp onto the dark roots of Calum’s hair, Calum whimpering in response to the fingers clinging to his scalp and the tight heat of Luke around him.

“Oh my god” Calum pathetically whispered, his body quaking with the need to thrust hard and fast, Luke quickly adjusting and fidgeting to get Calum to move quicker; “Can I – _fuck_ ” Calum groaned as Luke responded by raising his hips up to Calum’s, the two of them thrusting so that the pace swiftly increased, both of them gasping as Luke’s hands fluttered between Calum’s thick hair and his tanned back, the contrast of his pale skin almost comical to anyone who could see.

“Fuck me like you mean it” Luke taunted, his cheeks tinted a rosy red as he clasped his hands around the sides of Calum’s face and bit the other boy’s lower lip, Calum grunting in response before licking inside the other boy’s mouth, their tongues tangling in the wet cavern as Calum picked up his pace.

“I’ve never meant anything more in my whole fucking life” Calum grunted, skin slapping against skin as he continued to thrust in and out of Luke, the blonde boy slamming his head down against the duvet and reaching to palm his own cock, his chest decorated with a dusting of sweat, Calum’s own beginning to build on his forehead; “You’re so fucking precious, Luke.”

“And you’re a dickhead, but I _really_ fucking like you” Luke moaned, his hands now clinging onto Calum’s waist as the other boy rutted against him as though his life depended on it, his breath catching in his throat as Luke tightened his hole around him; “And I really want to fucking cum” he continued, his eyes blown wide and boring into Calum’s as he picked up the pace of his fisting cock, his eyes strained and mouth hanging delicately open.

“Cum for me Luke, come on baby, you know you can” Calum encouraged, nibbling Luke’s lower lip as his mouth continued to gape open, his lips dry and breath hot against Calum’s face, the older boy approaching his own climax the tighter Luke’s hole became with his impending orgasm.

“Cal” Luke gasped, their eyes meeting once again as his fist on his cock faltered in pace and the older boy knew he was about to come.

“I’ve got you, Luke” Calum whispered against his face, his own pace faltering as he reached his climax at the same time: something that Calum had never managed before.

The two boys muttered sweet nothings as they came, their mouths meeting one another’s in a messy press of frantic lips, hands clinging to sweaty bodies as they moaned out incomprehensible words. One thing, however, that was a fully strewn sentence and heard by the both of them, was Calum whispering _“I’ve got you”_ against Luke’s swollen lips.


	5. Books

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some books are hard to open, but they're always worth getting into 

_"I like standing still, but that's just a wishful plan"_

 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck” Luke muttered as he flung his legs off the side of his bed, his feet meeting the cold carpet as he slammed his phone down on the bedside table.

“What?” Calum mumbled, rustling under the duvet as he heard Luke continue to mutter under his breath, grabbing a white button-up shirt whilst spritzing deodorant in every direction.

“I’m late for work” Luke whimpered in response; “And I can’t fucking find my tie!” he scorned, pulling on his navy-blue slacks and hobbling around looking for some socks that vaguely match.

“It’s on the couch” Calum responded, rubbing his eyes and sitting up in the bed, squinting as he adjusted to the 8am bustle of the New York streets below him; “I’ll grab it, you go and brush your teeth. You smell like a camel’s ass” he continued, padding out of the bedroom as Luke grumbled something about it being weird that Calum even knows what a camel’s ass smells like.

Calum wandered over to the old leather sofa, sitting down and twiddling with Luke’s red tie as he yawned and grabbed the remote, pressing the buttons and hoping some sort of morning news would grace the screen despite his aimless button-pressing. Eight in the morning was far too early to be awake, in Calum’s opinion, but he supposed that if you have a ‘real’ job you actually need to do it during the day rather than at 3am. He gazed gormlessly at the weather-girl, her tight yellow dress being a far too obnoxious colour for Calum’s sleep-deprived eyes. Normally he would love eyeing up the weather girl, maybe even have a cheeky wank over her as he lazed on his own couch, but he thought it inappropriate to do that seeing as he was in Luke’s house after sleeping with him the night before.

“Have you got – oh, thanks Cal” Luke mused as he gently took the tie off the older boy, sticking his tongue out slightly between his lips as he fitted it around his shirt collar; “That dress is a disgusting colour” he continued, indicating to the weather-girl as Calum chuckled slightly.

“I was thinking exactly the same thing” Calum smiled, standing up off the couch to run his hand through Luke’s hair to tuck it behind the other boy’s ear; “Nobody should be allowed to wear yellow at this time in a morning.”

“Nobody should be allowed to wear yellow full-stop. It reminds me of my nan” Luke mumbled, fixing his hair again despite Calum’s attempts to tame it; “She wore a horrible yellow pantsuit to my brother’s wedding. It was genuinely horrific” he continued, pulling his navy suit jacket on as he was finally happy with the condition of his hair.

“Anyways, I really need to fucking go” Luke rambled before pressing a firm kiss to Calum’s lips; “Stay for as long as you like – there’s a spare set of keys and a pack of smokes by the balcony.”

“Thanks” Calum hummed, pressing another kiss to the other boy’s cheek; “I’ve got work tonight, but I can catch you later if you’re still awake?” Calum pondered, knowing full-well that _he_ wants to have another 3am session with the younger boy.

“I’m always awake” Luke grumbled as he pulled away from Calum, their hands lingering together despite the blonde being in a rush; “I have so much work that sleep is something that I rarely get nowadays” he continued, grabbing his car keys from the coffee table after finally breaking his touch with Calum.

“Take it easy, yeah?” Calum said genuinely, following Luke so that he could see him out of the front door; “Probably easier said than done, but don’t break yourself Luke.”

“I’ll try” the blonde sighed, opening the front door and looking back at Calum leaning against the door frame, “See you later, Cal” he finished, offering him a tired smile as he stepped into the elevator, the brunette yawning as he waved goodbye.

***

Luke parked his car around the back of the work building, grabbing his briefcase off the passenger seat and slamming the door shut, locking his car remotely as he paced towards the exit door. He had a meeting with his line-manager in less than 10 minutes and she would know for a fact that Luke wasn’t in the office yet, meaning that he really needed to get a pace on and sit at his desk for at least 30 seconds before she came looking for him.

“Luke!” he heard a familiar voice shout from behind him as he waited for the elevator, turning around and seeing his line-manager strutting towards him, her blonde hair in a tight ponytail, her harsh facial features emphasised due to the tight pull of her hair-tie; “I’m late too, don’t panic” she calmed him, standing next to him and catching her breath as they both waited for the elevator doors to open.

“Thank god!” Luke laughed breathily, the two of them stepping into the elevator together; “How are you?” he asked politely, unsure how you are supposed to start a normal conversation with your boss.

“I really need a coffee, but other than that, pretty good” she smiled, straightening out her white blouse; “You look like you haven’t slept at all” she continued, smiling sympathetically as she straightened his tie for him; “I know I’m giving you a pretty hefty workload, but make sure you’re looking after yourself, Luke.”

“I haven’t really slept to be honest. Personal life is a bit hectic at the moment” he mumbled, the two of them reaching their office floor and stepping out into the bustling corridor together; “Your office?” he queried upon arriving at her door, his boss nodding in response and beckoning for him to follow her inside.

“Girlfriend troubles?” she asked inquisitively, switching the light on, the bulb flickering before settling bright in the centre of the room. Luke sat opposite her at the big oak desk, his boss opening up her laptop and sighing before indicating for Luke to open up his briefcase.

“Yeah, something like that” he hummed, smiling politely and getting his case studies out of the briefcase, a yawn threatening to escape him at the same time.

“I might be your boss darling, but you know I’m here to mentor and look out for you too? Anything that’s on your mind is also on mine” she comforted, smiling warmly as she turned his case study research towards herself, Luke relaxing slightly in the chair opposite her.

“I’m actually gay” Luke blurted out, his boss stopping briefly before smiling, reaching for a red pen so that she could mark out sections of Luke’s research that needs to be covered in greater depth.

“So, I should have probably asked if it’s boyfriend troubles?” she chuckled as her phone rang, picking it up instantly and leaving Luke hanging mid-conversation. Her PA had offered to get her a coffee, so she ordered one for Luke too, the blonde smiling appreciatively and dropping his hands into his lap, his fingers linking together.

“Yes, boyfriend troubles” she continued, reminding herself of their topic of conversation; “I might have been married to my husband for nearly 10 years, but I tell you, men never get any easier to read” she laughed to herself, putting her red pen down and instead resting her hands on her desk to talk to Luke properly.

Luke nodded his head knowingly: “This guy…” he started, taking a deep breath before focusing back on his boss, “He’s so incredible, but fucking hard work – _oh, shit_ , sorry for swearing” he mumbled, her waving her hand as if to tell him that she doesn’t mind; “Yeah, he’s – well, he’s older than me but not by much, but he acts as though he’s a lot younger than me, y’know? He lacks commitment, but he’s so headstrong – he’s like a walking contradiction.”

“I know exactly what you mean” she smiled warmly, both of them pausing briefly as her PA came in with two cups of coffee, Luke and his boss both thanking her politely. “Whilst he may seem difficult and hard work” she continued, sipping her drink; “You need a guy like that.”

“What do you mean?” Luke queried, sipping his own drinking and wincing slightly as it was hotter than he expected.

“You’re so intelligent and so…passionate” she continued; “You need someone who’s going to keep you engaged, on your toes, interested, and all that jazz” she waved her hands around slightly; “You’d get so bored if you had someone who just let you walk all over them and didn’t challenge you intellectually.”

Luke nodded his head, listening to what she said and taking on-board her considerations: “I just worry that I won’t be the person to make him settle down, even though I want to be that person more than anything” he continued, whispering slightly towards the end and leaning his elbows against her desk, averting eye contact and gazing down at the case studies below him instead.

“You can’t make someone settle” she sighed sympathetically; “But don’t give up yet. Give him time, and then decide whether it’s time to stay or go” she continued, resting her hand gently against Luke’s forearm to catch his attention; “And don’t let him distract you from your work” she teased, dropping him a wink before shuffling the case studies around again, indicating that it was time that they talked about work rather than Luke’s boy troubles.

“Thanks Cindy” Luke smiled warmly, refocusing on the task in hand; “I think I just need to give him some time.”

***

Luke wasn’t home, and Calum needed to go to work. His battered range rover remained on Luke’s drive, the brunette currently stood under a steaming waterfall in Luke’s shower, browsing the various shampoos to find one that _isn’t_ for blonde hair. The water cascaded down his back, his aching muscles soothing under the warm water, his eyes closed as he tilted his head back to feel the droplets hammer onto his tired face. Calum imagined Luke showering, how his blonde curls would flatten against his head, how the water would pour over his pale chest and gather briefly on the other boy’s sparse chest hairs, how his tall body would fold into itself as he relished in the heat.

Calum had an erection.

The brunette sighed as he reached for one of the shampoos, finally deciding that any one of them would do as he squeezed the gel into his hand, lathering the suds and smoothing it into his dark locks. He imagined that Luke was the one washing his hair, his long fingers carding through Calum’s hair as he pressed his tall frame against Calum’s back, the younger boy kissing Calum’s shoulder gently as he massaged his scalp, the brunette moulding into his touch.

Calum closed his eyes and trailed his hand down his chest, scratching his own nails down the tan skin, trailing delicately over his own abdomen in the same way that Luke would. He steadied one hand against the white tiles of the wall, crowding into the corner as though Luke had urged him there, towering behind him, sucking on his neck and whispering into Calum’s ear. Calum’s hand fisted his own cock slowly; teasingly like Luke would start, focusing on his swollen head and imagining Luke’s hair hanging gently against his shoulder, the blonde peering over Calum’s frame to observe his handywork.

A breathy sigh escaped Calum, his pace picking up as he intently imagined it was Luke pumping his cock instead of him, his hand against the wall pressing tightly into the cracks between the tiles, the hot water pounding against his back instead of Luke’s heavenly skin. He whimpered into the steam circling around him, his heart beginning to pound in his chest as he neared his high, his pace never faltering as he searched for the stars behind his eyes. Pathetically, he whispered Luke’s name, his eyes scrunched together and his finger-ends turning white from his clasp against the wall, his legs beginning to shake as he continued to hold himself up.

Calum was interrupted by the bathroom door cracking open, his hand dropping from his cock and turning around startled, the water continuing to hammer against his hot skin.

“Want some help?” Luke smirked, leaning against the door frame confidently as Calum cowered into himself slightly, naked and pathetic, cheeks tinted red in embarrassment, the water suddenly feeling a lot hotter against his flushed body.

“I – uh, erm – you’re – you’re home early” Calum stuttered, his hands lingering over his crotch to attempt to conceal his increasingly flaccid cock, Luke chuckling lightly, loosening his tie and throwing it on top of the toilet seat.

“Yeah, well, I finished court early” he hummed, unbuttoning his white shirt and placing it alongside his tie, Calum still aimlessly standing under the pour of water; “Thought I could come home and keep you company before your shift” he continued, starting on his slacks as Calum tried to subtly admire the younger boy’s body, his cock firming again as he peered at Luke’s briefs snuggly covering his arse.

“Sounds like a pretty good plan” Calum chimed, confidence creeping back as Luke removed his briefs, both of them now naked in the steamy bathroom, the glass of the walk-in shower the only thing separating them.

“I thought so too” Luke smirked, pulling the screen and stepping into the cubicle with Calum, the blonde eyeing up Calum’s wet torso, his slight abs shimmering under the ceiling lights; “But I didn’t think I’d be greeted with a sight as good as this” he continued to tease, taking the step between them so that their bodies were mere inches apart, their eyes flickering between one another’s lips.

“I didn’t think I’d be getting the real thing” Calum smirked, confidence back as Luke all-too-well knew that the other boy was wanking over him, Calum’s hands coming to rest upon Luke’s waist, his damp skin nestling against the blonde’s drier body; “Guess Christmas came early.”

Luke hummed in response, tired of the teasing and pressing his lips against Calum’s, the younger boy’s hands instantly threading into the hairs at the nape of Calum’s neck. Calum sighed against his lips, his pout parting to allow Luke to run his tongue across his bottom lip, Calum immediately granting entry and pulling Luke closer by his waist, his hands applying more pressure to his pale skin.

They slowly walked backwards, Luke’s back now under the stream of water as Calum winced, the cold tiles meeting his warm back, his nipples hardening due to the contrast in temperature. Calum leaned back from the kiss momentarily, their eyes meeting and the two of them smiling as they basked in the heat from the shower, their bodies pressed together as their cocks swelled, thighs rubbing against one another’s shaft.

“You look so fucking hot” Luke mused, leaning in for another firm peck before diverting his attention to Calum’s cock, doing exactly as Calum imagined earlier, slowly teasing the head before starting to steadily fist his shaft, the brunette quaking slightly as he released a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding; “I come home from work, find you naked in my shower, fisting your cock as you whimper my name” he teased, Calum’s eyes fluttering closed as Luke crowded his space, breath hot against his cheek as he spoke into the brunette’s ear; “Just couldn’t wait, could you?”

Calum shook his head gently, taking back control slightly as he reached out to clutch Luke’s cock, the blonde faltering his movements on the other boy’s shaft, the older boy gaining some more confidence in the situation.

“Can you really blame me?” Calum teased in return, both of them picking up their pace, breaths mingling in the circling steam; “You’re too good to me” he continued, biting Luke’s lower lip, earning a meek moan in response from the other boy.

“Just shut up” Luke groaned, picking up his pace on Calum’s throbbing cock, the older boy gasping in response and emitting a low groan, his eyes shuttering back closed as he tried to concentrate on fisting Luke’s cock at the same time, the water cascading down Luke’s back and splashing tiny droplets onto Calum’s flushed face; “Come on, Cal. You know you wanna come for me” Luke taunted, his breath getting caught slightly in his throat as Calum reached to massage the blonde’s swollen balls, the touch sending a shiver down his spine.

Calum came suddenly, no warning as he barely got a warning himself, his orgasm decorating Luke’s lower abdomen before being washed off the younger boy’s chest, the white stream circling down the drain. He managed to steady himself, his legs feeling weak but his ego demanding he finish the job in hand – literally. He picked up his pace on Luke’s red cock, the blonde dropping his head to rest against Calum’s firm shoulder, the jerk of the other boy’s arm jostling his head slightly.

“Fuck – yeah – yeah, just like that Cal” Luke whimpered into Calum’s wet neck, his breath heavy against Calum’s flushed skin, the other boy’s pace not faltering as he bit down on Luke’s neck, the blonde letting out a choked moan in response; “Please” Luke continued rambling, this breathing becoming irregular and short. Calum fisted his hand continuously until streams of white patterned his chest, pooling on his hand as it travelled down his body and the other boy sunk further into his body, the two of them moulding together as Calum gently removed his hand from Luke’s over-sensitive cock.

Luke laughed lightly into Calum’s neck before withdrawing slightly and closing his eyes briefly under the stream of water, re-opening them to smile at Calum and press a gentle peck to his lips.

“You can surprise me like that more often” Calum chuckled back, carding his hands through Luke’s curls to ensure that they were all wet and ready for suds of shampoo to be scattered there, the blonde humming in response and standing under the heat of the shower; “Do you want to come to work with me, like, you can sit at the bar and catch up with Lily and stuff?”

Luke ran his hands over his wet face, giving Calum a small smile; “Yeah sure, I’ll have to bring some work with me…and maybe a spliff if Lily’s working” he laughed, Calum beginning to soap up Luke’s hair, the younger boy squinting to avoid getting shampoo in his blue orbs.

“Sweet” Calum hummed, rinsing the suds and kissing Luke’s forehead; “I’m sure Ash would love to see you too, he’s always asking how you are” he continued, Luke leaning behind him to switch off the shower, the two of them leaving the cubicle and wrapping themselves up in Luke’s fluffy white towels.

“Yeah, I feel bad for not being in touch with him, but you know how busy I’ve been” Luke frowned, beating himself up slightly about his lack of contact with his father-like friend.

“He understands, Luke” Calum eased, rubbing his dark locks aggressively, Luke laughing at his ferocious drying tactics; “He’s so proud of you, and you know that babe.”

Luke stopped drying himself and looked at Calum, waiting for the older boy to catch his gaze before saying: “Babe?” teasingly, shoving Calum with his elbow.

“Fuck off” Calum grumbled, throwing his towel at Luke in response.

“You’re going to be late for work, _babe_ ” Luke sarked back, Calum throwing him the middle finger as he left the bathroom, Luke chuckling to himself as he eyed himself in the mirror, laughing as he thought _‘tightly closed books are hard work to open, but they’re sure as hell worth getting into’._


	6. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Calum admits he has found his home - and this time, he won't be running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡

** Chapter 6: **

 

Luke drove the two of them to Ashton’s bar, listening to a debating radio channel throughout the journey. Luke was having a great time, making small comments in response, but Calum couldn’t really keep up with the discussion the angry women were having, drifting in and out of a light sleep despite the short journey. After parking the car, the two of them arrived at the bar just in time for Calum’s 9pm shift, Lily and Megan squealing in delight when they saw Luke.

“Oh my god, Lukey!” Lily wailed, running up to the blonde and smothering his face in little kisses, the blonde boy giggling in response as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him tightly; “I’ve missed you so much” she squeaked in his ear, Luke saying he had missed her too. Calum walked over to the bar, high-fiving Ashton as he pulled some glasses out of the dishwasher for the evening shift. The girls continued to fuss over Luke, saying how, despite it only being a few weeks, he looked _‘so grown up’_ and _‘like a real lawyer’_.

“I guess you two have kissed and made up?” Ashton chimed, smirking at Calum; “Or should I say, you’ve finally got your head out of your ass and realised Luke’s a bit of a steal?” he continued to tease, jabbing Calum in the rib gently with his elbow.

“Fuck off” Calum smirked before smiling gently; “Yeah, we’re just taking things steady, y’know?” he followed up with, places some pint-glasses he had dried on the shelf behind the bar.

“I’m happy for you” Ashton beamed, re-arranging Calum’s placement of the glasses because the bar has to be organised a _specific_ way; “You two look good together” he hummed, mainly to himself but Calum hearing the statement, the younger boy smiling to himself. Luke walked over e and sat on one of the bar stools, the girls coming to join Ashton and Calum behind the bar, Lily popping a cap off a beer and handing it to Luke as Megan skipped a song on the playlist they had on in the bar.

“So, how’s work, kid?” Ashton smiled at Luke, propping his elbows on the bar in interest; “You look pretty knackered if I’m honest” he said sympathetically, Luke nodding in response.

“It’s pretty hectic at the moment because of the court case I’m on. It’s some petty Wall Street thing that’s got out of hand because big egos are involved” he chuckled, taking a sip of his beer; “It also doesn’t help that Calum turns up at like, 3 in the morning most nights” he teased.

“That’s only because you invite me!” Calum chimed up in response, holding his hands up in mock honesty, the girls giggling in response. Lily walked over and leant against the bar with Ash, Calum and Megan flitting to the other side of the bar to serve people.

“Are you two, like, a ‘thing’ then?” she asked curiously, her eyes lighting up as she awaited Luke’s response.

“Erm, kinda” Luke shrugged; “We’re keeping it casual and stuff for a bit – see how things pan out, y’know?” he continued, Lily nodding before beaming and letting out a small squeal.

“I knew it! Your faces when you walked in together said it all” she smiled, taking a sip of her vodka and lemonade, Ashton nodding as though agreeing with her.

“What do you mean?” Luke questioned, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket to smoke out back.

“You’re both smitten, is what she means” Ashton interrupted, Lily smiling even bigger as though she could get even _more_ excited about the two of them; “I’ve never seen Cal keep someone around for longer than a day, so I’d say it’s looking pretty promising – even if he doesn’t always show it.”

Luke hummed understandingly, sipping his beer before catching Calum’s eye, the two of them smiling as the brunette finished serving and walked back over to the side of the bar Luke was sat at.

“Going for a smoke?” Calum asked the blonde, stuffing his hands in his pockets to find his own cigarettes; “Am I alright to pop out for one quickly?” he turned to Ash, knowing that the older man would let him; “It’s still quiet anyways” he continued, Ashton giving him permission, the two boys heading out back to the benched smoking area.

The smoking area had large picnic benches sat underneath old brass lanterns, Ashton’s ‘industrial’ style décor spreading from his home into his bar. The two boys sidled next to each other on a bench that was free, other people scattered in various places on other benches.

“Luke – I really wanna say something but I’m worried it’s gonna come out all wrong” Calum sighed, lighting his cigarette and taking a heavy drag. Luke turned to face Calum and crossed his legs on the benches, his loose pink blouse folding in his lap allowing him to twiddle his fingers in the soft material.

“Go for it” Luke hummed, raising his head slightly to look at Calum as his heart began to pound against his chest, his fingers fumbling with the pink material even more as his mouth went dry. Calum took a deep breath to steady his own heartrate, his fingers shaking slightly as he held his cigarette between his fingertips.

“I really like you” he mumbled before diverting his eyes to the red brick wall, “And I’m gonna stay in New York for the foreseeable future because, um – I’m – _fuck sake_ , I’m just…not ready to leave you yet” he finished, closing his eyes as he nervously took another deep drag of his cigarette.

“Good, because I don’t want you to go” Luke weakly smiled in response, reaching his hand up to rest against Calum’s cold cheek as he turned the brunette to face him; “I really like you too, but that doesn’t mean you have to run away” he continued, the older boy resting into his palm slightly as their eyes met under the twinkling fairy-lights, the moment cliché beyond belief.

“I’m not running this time” Calum hummed in response, shuffling closer to the blonde’s crossed legs, “And I’m not planning on running any time soon” he admitted, offering Luke a drag of his cigarette seeing as the younger boy had not yet lit his own.

The two of them sat in a peaceful bliss as their cards were now all on the table – nothing between them as feelings had finally been admitted. The blonde took the cigarette Calum had placed between his lips and crushed it into the ashtray before cupping both of the brunette’s cheeks and bringing their chapped lips together.

Luke tasted like cigarettes, and so did Calum. But Luke tasted sweet, gentle and homely, whilst Calum tasted like freedom and a cold winters night. The blonde pulled away and rested his head against Calum’s before humming: “You’re so precious, and you deserve to feel like you have a home” before opening his eyes to meet Calum’s, “Let me be that home” he finished, his hands still pressed against the older boy’s cheeks.

“I think you always have been” Calum whispered, pressing his lips gently to Luke’s as though he was confessing his sins, the gaze between them as the kiss broke speaking unspoken verses as they weakly smiled at one another. Calum normally builds a home and waits for someone to tear it down, packing his life up in boxes, heading for the next town running; but this time nobody was coming to tear it down, _and he was no longer running_.


End file.
